Monster Energy to sponsor NASCAR’s top series in 2017

LAS VEGAS — NASCAR announced an agreement with Monster Energy on Thursday that makes the energy drink maker the title sponsor of its top series in 2017, ending a lengthy process of finding a replacement for Sprint.

NASCAR Chairman Brian France declined to provide financial details or the length of the deal, saying it was a “complicated agreement” that includes option years. It was believed to be for less money than Sprint’s multimillion-dollar sponsorship.

“It’s a different kind of agreement, for sure, in that is has activation in different ways and media in different ways,” France said at a news conference with the NASCAR and Monster logos serving as a backdrop. “But we’re quite pleased with the agreement and there will be no changes at all (to operations budgets).”